Early signs of a ramp up in Northern Ireland’s new car sales have been snuffed out by new supply chain disruptions caused on Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Latest data from industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed 4,186 new cars were registered in the province in March, a fall of just over 9% on the same month last year and a sign the Ukrainian conflict is beginning to impact the trade.
Ukraine is a key supplier of a range of auto-parts, including cable harnesses, according to Ulster Bank’s Chief Economist Richard Ramsey, while Russia produces the precious metal palladium, which is used to make catalytic converters, and nickel, which is used to make car batteries.
